


Tad bit taller, but still the same.

by madamoiselle_mischief



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Chap 420, F/M, Teensy Bit of Angst, everyone's talking about the height difference
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-17
Updated: 2015-02-17
Packaged: 2018-03-13 12:25:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3381446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madamoiselle_mischief/pseuds/madamoiselle_mischief
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lucy notices things about Natsu. Spoilers for Chap 420.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tad bit taller, but still the same.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does, bless him. I do, however, ship these two weirdos to the ends of Earthland and back.

Something was bothering Lucy all morning and she couldn't place a finger on what it was.

It wasn’t the fact that their morning escapade was completely disastrous or the fact that Natsu just vandalized the Royal Castle— sheesh, she had been long used to those antics, overboard as they may be. It wasn't the fact that she didn't notice that a bra was sticking out of her bag until five miles later either, or the fact that Happy was surprisingly knowledgeable in packing clothes that matched.

What was it, then?

“Hmmm…” Lucy murmured, her mouth twitching in thought. She decided to voice her musings to the Dragon Slayer and Exceed walking beside her. “Hey, Natsu.” She started to say, craning her neck upwards—

— and then abruptly stopped, finally noticing that there was an annoying crick in her neck that kept resurfacing. “Ow.” She grimaced, rubbing the ache. ‘ _Oh, so that’s what’s been bugging me.’_

“What’s wrong, Lucy?” Natsu and Happy chorused, stopping in their tracks, or in Happy’s case, in his flight.

Lucy waved a hand in front of her face. “It’s nothing,” She automatically replied, hand still on her neck. “My neck just ached all of a sudden.”

Natsu leaned and Happy flitted closer. “That’s all?” Natsu sniggered. “Man, you’re weird.”

“Must be because her bag’s too heavy, ‘cause she tried to pack her whole closet in it.” Happy added, hiding a teasing smirk behind his paws.

“You’re the one who packed it, stupid cat!” Lucy screeched, waving a fist at the said blue creature. Happy only flapped away, inches from her wrath, crying “Natsuuu~ Help meee!”

Natsu only laughed. “Want me to carry it?” He offered, grinning down at her.

Lucy shook her head. “Nah, I’m fin—“Wait, Natsu was grinning  _down_  on her?

She noted that her chin was tilted up whenever she faced Natsu, hence the probable cause of her stiff neck.  _‘Hold up. Don’t tell me…’_  She trailed off in disbelief, eyes narrowed.

“You grew taller!” Lucy accused, jabbing her pink-haired partner in the chest.  _‘Ooh, his chest seems broader—not now, Lucy!’_  She mentally shook her head. “How did that happen?!”

“I’m still in my growth sprout.” Natsu breezily explained, unfazed by her sudden aggression. They had started walking. “I mean, I’m a teenager, well, physically—“

“You mean  _growth_ _spurt_?” Lucy corrected him playfully. Seems like his intelligence, at least, hasn't overly matured. Natsu muttered a ‘yeah, that’, before crossing his arms over his chest and looking away in slight embarrassment.

Stifling a giggle, Lucy went back to her topic. “You’re a head taller than me now!” She exclaimed, pausing in her steps to measure the top of her head to Natsu’s figure. “Look, I’m only up to your ears now.”

“Huh, really?” That got his attention. He also stopped and mimicked Lucy’s action. “Heh, you’re right! Well, it has been a year.” Chuckling to himself, he patted her head. “You’re  _tiny_ , Lucy.”

“Am not!” She immediately huffed and shook him away, ignoring Happy’s quiet “You lllllike hiiim~!”

They continued walking and chatting along the road as they normally did. However, Lucy started noticing little changes on Natsu.

His back and shoulders were broader, and his arms muscled than ever. His features seemed sharper too, due to training or maturity, she doesn't know. But it wasn't only his physique. Of course, he looked and was undoubtedly stronger than ever. The atmosphere around seemed more serious, a little bit detached even. His stride was straighter and prouder, unlike his lopsided gait back then.

But there were also things that remained, the animated flicker in his eyes when he told his stories, his loud and infectious laughter and most of all his warmth and presence that Lucy had long since grown accustomed to.

And longed for.

Suddenly, a whole year’s worth of loneliness and depression hit her harder than Erza’s breastplate. She staggered in her step and felt her throat tightened with bitterness. The familiar lead-heavy sensation made itself once again known at the pits of her stomach and the corners of her eyes started to burn. She rubbed at them in what she hoped to be in an inconspicuous manner.

“I’m fine! Just tripped, you know, clumsy me.” She hastily said, before they could ask her what’s wrong. Sure enough, she wasn't inconspicuous as she had hoped she was— she knew Natsu had seen her eyes brimming with resentful questions.

Questions like  _why did they leave her behind?_

“Are you sure, Lucy?” Happy inquired worriedly. She nodded and smiled before she met with Natsu’s eyes.

_We’re here now. And we’ll get the guild back together soon._   _I_   _promise_. They said, no, firmly stated. And somewhere in their firmness, she could feel an unspoken apology, soft and sincere.

A small smile touched her lips.  _'He_ _always knows what to say.’_  She thought, all traces of resentment banished from her mind.

_‘Never change, Natsu. Never change.’_

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, it's short and I did on a whim. But I need to let out the feels, man. 
> 
> Feel free to interpret it as romantic or whatnot ;)


End file.
